On Sunday, the Twitter account of British former actor, political party leader, and free speech activist Laurence Fox was suspended for “hateful imagery” after he posted a photo of a swastika using LGBT flags. His account was later reinstated but he faced calls for police action by Member of the London Assembly Caroline Russell.
Russell said she hoped the “Met police will look into Laurence Fox using pride month flags to create nazi imagery and posting the images on a public platform. This is a hate crime.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Fox said: “While I’m pleased that my account has been reinstated, this temporary ban only served to reinforce the rank hypocrisy which Twitter is engaged in.
“Over the Jubilee weekend, I lost count of the number of posts comparing the prominence of Union Jack flags around the country to Nazi Germany.
“The prominence of the various pride flags and symbols throughout the month of June however not only goes unquestioned, but its acceptance and celebration are enforced with a sense of hectoring authoritarianism.
“My post was clearly meant to highlight this double standard – and the temporary ban which resulted from it effectively proved my point.”
Fox’s tweet received some backlash. Comedian and actress Kathy Burke tweeted: “The existence of Lawrence Fox is another reason to be pro abortion.”
Others like GB News’ Andrew Doyle supported Fox’s point of view. The journalist and playwright tweeted: “For some, these flags represent diversity and inclusion.
“But for many, they symbolize an ideological movement that is hostile to gay people and women’s rights, opposes free speech, legitimizes violence and bullying, and hounds people out of their jobs if they fail to conform.”
